From the beginning of creation God has had a problem with man, The Lord gave very clear and precise instructions to Adam but man rebelled and disobeyed God. Man would lose his relationship with God, give up his ability to live in a loving, living relationship with Him. So, why did God allow man to continue on?
“Behold what manner of love THE FATHER HAS 1BESTOWED ON US…” (1 John 3:1) 1didōmi: give out from one’s self. What motivated the Lord to love us like this? “For God SO 2LOVED the world that HE GAVE His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16) We may ask ourselves, how could God love us so much that He could love us through all the grief we have caused Him?
The answer is in the kind of love the Lord God Almighty has for us. 2agapao (ἀγαπάω): God’s merciful and sacrificial love, a love that is selfless and non-emotional. It is not about our worthiness or what we deserve.
When God’s chosen people cried out after Pilate asked about Jesus, they said, “LET HIM BE CRUCIFIED!” (Matt. 27:22) How would we respond if we had given up our loved one to save them??? Oh, thank the Lord that He, “SO LOVED that HE GAVE” Ok, how do we demonstrate our commitment to God? When Jesus was asked, “…which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind.’ This is the first and GREATEST commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets 3HANG on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:36-40) 3kremannumi: “like a door on its hinges.” It provides a crucial entry point into Scripture as a whole and the gospel that forms its core.
OUR AGAPAO LOVE FOR GOD IS WHAT HIS HEART DESIRES FROM US…
-Bill Stockham